Relic

Kay returns to her family home after her mother Edna disappears without explanation, a crumbling house that seems to keep its own counsel. As Kay and her daughter Sam search the rooms for signs of Edna, the building's creaks and shadows feel charged with memory and unease. Notes of Edna's declining grip on reality drift through the hallways, but the house does more than reflect her dementia; it appears to turn on those who enter. Each clue about the past blends with fear of what might be lurking in the walls. The story blends grief, duty, and a slow burn of dread, letting the audience infer danger rather than exhibit it outright. The tension rests on the leads' performances.

Directed by Natalie Erika James, Relic is built from a concept by Christian White and Lynne Vincent McCarthy. The Australian horror feature released in 2020 and has been noted for its restrained, atmospheric craft and intimate scale.

Relic has been cited as a standout example of domestic horror that pairs intimate family drama with creeping dread. Critics have highlighted its use of space and memory as active threats, influencing later indie films that favor atmosphere and psychological strain over explicit scares, shaping contemporary horror's quieter register.

Critics praised the film for its pacing and its focus on memory, aging, and caregiving. Relic uses a horror framework to explore how grief mutates perception and how families confront unresolved pasts, delivering a haunting meditation alongside its eerie visuals. Its closing imagery lingers, inviting discussion about care and memory.